Float or signal-buoy for sunken vessels.



1. P. EDMONDS. H FLOAT OR SIGNAL BUOY FOR SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 6 I918.

Patented June 18, 1918.

2 SHEETSS,HEET l.

' J. P. EDMONDS.

FLOAT 0R SIGNAL B UOY FOR SUNKEIRI IESSELS. APPLICATION man FEB. 6,I-9I8.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented June 18, 1918.

JOHN P. EDIVIOIN'IDS,

OF SGOTTSBORO,

ALABAMA.

FLOAT OR SIGNAL-RUDY FOR SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1%, 191%.

Application filed. February 6, 1918. Serial No. 215,623.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. EDMoNDs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scottsboro, in the county of Jackson, State of Alabama, haveinvented a new and useful Float or Signal-Buoy for Sunken Vessels; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to a float or signal buoy for locating sunkenvessels, and one of the objects of the invention is the provision of adepending loop carried by the float or buoy signal having suitablebearings for the shaft of a reel, about which a cable (which has one endattached to the deck of the vessel) is wound, whereby as the vesselsinks the buoy will float on the surface of the water, as the cableunreels, thereby signaling the locationof the sunken vessel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improvedsupporting means carried by the deck of the vessel for the reception ofsaid depending loop of the buoy, whereby the buoy may be held in aperpendicular position, so that it may remain on the surface of thewater as the vessel sinks.

One of the features of the invention is the provision of a support forthe floating buoy said support being tapering or conical ant. inskeleton form and constructed of sheet metal, the upper parts of thesides of the support being braced by sheet metal straps while the lowerparts of the sides are provided with sheet metal supporting legs, henceinsuring a light durable and practical support.

In practical fields the details of construction. may necessitatealterations falling with in the scope of what is claimed. 7

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a sunken ship orvessel, showing the float or signal buoy floating on the surface of thewater.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of float or signal buoy.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the skeleton sheet metal supportfor the depending loop of the float or signal buoy.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the support and the buoy,showing the latter supported in the former.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the cable to be connected to thedeck of the vessel and in turn wound about the reel of the float orbuoy, showing the heart of the cable being in the form of a telephonewire, where by should the signal be carried by a submarine telephoneconnections may be had with the crew of the sunken submarine.

Referring more especially to the drawings 1 designates a sunken vessel,and 2 a support which is in skeleton form as shown. The body of thesupport is constructed from a piece of sheet metal bent upon itself asat 8 substantially midway its end. The end portions of the sheet metalare disposed V- shaped, thereby forming the sides of the support astapering downwardly toward each other to the point 3. The sides of thesupport are bent at slight obtuse angles as shown at 4, thereby formingthe substantially perpendicular parallel parts or extensions 5. Thesides of the support, at right angles to the V-shaped arrangement of thesides are each slightly tapered, and the op posite edges of both sidesare provided with right angle flanges 6. These flanges 6 originate fromthe edges of the sides at a point a short distance above the bend 3. Arectangular sheet metal strap 7 fits over the upper end portions of thesides, and is secured by the rivets 8, thereby reinforcing the sides ofthe support relative to each other, the flanges 6 acting to additionallyreinforce and strengthen the sides.

Sheet metal. legs 9 have their anchoringextensions 10 secured by rivets11 to the V- shaped arranged sides of the support, and the bodies of thelegs incline outwardly and downwardly, and their lateral feet 12 aresecured by rivets or the like 13 to the deck 14 of the vessel. The floator signal buoy coinprises a tapering or conical hollow body 15, which isconstructed of sheet metal and provided with upper and lower sheet metalends 16 and 17. The end pieces 16 and 17 are provided with marginaloverturned flanges 18 and 19, which receive and engage the flanges 20and 21 of the opposite ends of the body 15. These inter-engaging flangesare clenched tightly together to insure air tight joints between theparts, thereby providing a float or buoy, the interior chamber of whichis air tight. A suitable sheet metal strap is bent upon itself to form atapering loop 22 and the lower tapered end of this loop has an opening23through which a cable 24 passes. The loop 22 is tapered and constructedcorrespondingly to and capable of fitting the support, and the obtuseangle.

extensions 25 of the sides of the loop 22 are secured by rivets or thelike 26 to the float or buoy. A suitable shaft 27 is mounted in bearings28in the sides of the loop, and mounted on and rotatable with the shaftis a reel or drunr29. One end of the shaft has a crank 30, whereby thedrum or reel may be rotated, for winding the cable :24 (one end of whichis attached to the drum and its other end to an eye 31 on the deck ofthe vessel) on the drum, whereby the loop 22 of the float or buoy may besupported in'the support without interference from the cable. The cable,a section of which is illustrated in Fig. 6 has its heart consisting ofa telephone wire 32,-which is insulated, so that should the signal floator buoy be carried by a submarine, a telephone may be conneetedto theupper end of the cable, for communication with the crew of the sunkensubmarine. As the vessel sinks, the float or buoy automatically leavesits support and remains on the surface, while the cable unreels orunwinds from the drum, the buoy or float remaining on the surface of thewater acting as a signal for indicat ing the location of the sunkenvessel.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. The combination with a signal buoy, of a supporting sockettherefor, being constructed from a single piece of sheet metal bent uponitself midway its ends forming sides arranged V-shaped, the edges of thesides having strengthening flanges, a reetangular sheet metal strapconnecting the upper ends of said sides, and supportinglegs connected tothe sides, adapted to be secured to the deck of a vessel.

2. The combination with a supporting socket, of a signal buoy, the bodyof the buoy being tapered, a socket receiving member formed from asingle piece of sheet r metal, bent upon itself to provide sides, theupper ends of which being secured to the body of the buoy, the sheetmetal being so constructed at the lower end of said member as to providean openin a drum having pintles mounted in the sides of the memher, andon which a cable is adapted to be wound, whereby the buoy may beattached to the deck of a vessel.

3. The combination with a signal buoy of a supporting socket thereforadapted to receive the lower end of said buoy, said supporting socketbeing constructed from a single piece of sheet metal bent upon itselfmidway its ends forming sides arranged V- shaped, the edges of the sideshaving strengthening flanges extending toward each other to preventlateral movement of the lower end of the buoy, and a rectangular bandbeing connected to the upper ends of the sides to hold them rigid, andmeans to support the socket on the deck of a vessel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. EDMONDS.

' Witnesses:

J H. GREGORY, WV. lVALKER MCCUTCIIEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

